Transitioning indoor -> outdoor

Is it better to ease plants into an outdoor environment by setting them outside more and more everyday until they are finally left to grow outdoors. Or can they just be planted outside right away?

I want toknow about this too. What mediums need to be applied from indoor to taking them to bud outdoors?

oh ya additional info: my plants are a little over 2 weeks since they sprouted and are on there 3rd node. currently they are inside under CFL's.

right now they are in little plantable pots and I plan on putting them in 3 gal buckets.

Your primary concerns are; Is it still freezing at night? Have your plants been hardened to go outside? To harden your plants, you start by putting them in direct sunlight for one hour, and then double the time outside until plants are out all day. After two or three days outside, and no night freezing, plants are ready to try an over night. Also, if they were started on a light cycle which is longer than the hours of daylight they will receive, you can cause them to flower early.When considering daylight hours, you must include dusk and dawn when light is just coming on, as plants still view this as light as well. If they do flower early, this will stunt them for a while as they become confused as days get longer. They will recover, however, and revert back to veg stage as summer light increases.

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-Denofearth69

found that on another thread

Any comments or other opinions?

Hey, nice to see myself quoted. Hardening is actually something that anyone who grows veggies, and is in a short grow season location, is very familiar with. Plants started with artificial light can be easily burned by that most awesome grow light we call the sun. Just like humans, once your skin becomes accustomed to the sunlight ( by getting a tan ) you are less likely to burn. Yes you can try just putting them out there, and they may do fine, but all things considered, it is worth the extra effort. Here are my outdoor girls to show you how well they can do if exposed slowly to the conditions they will be dealing with. These babies have even survived 50 MPH hour winds ( hence the very thick stems ) and have had an unexpected snow storm cover them in four inches of snow.

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These are girls, because, as I mentioned, I didn't calculate the light cycle just right and they started to bud. Since then they have gone back to veg as light cycle has increased.